Red Panda Cub Born at Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park

Officials at the Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park say they have a baby red panda cub on their hands.

The zoo on the city's South Side Monday afternoon announced the cub was born to parents Mei-Li and Ferguson on Saturday, July 7.

The brief announcement said the cub has been with its mother since birth and has grown as expected. The cub's current weight is 387 grams.

The birth was described as an "impressive accomplishment" for the zoo and the Red Panda Species Survival Plan. That's a program to manage a genetically healthy population of red pandas in zoos in North America.

The Binghamton zoo is active in 23 species survival programs.

According to the zoo's statement, a formal introduction of the cub will be announced in the coming weeks. There also will be a community naming contest.

The cub may not be visible for several weeks until it is big enough to climb out of its nest box.